Google doesn't consider Bhuvan its competitor, with a senior official of Google India even said that both apps are just "trying to solve the same problem." But this doesn't stop the company from updating Google Map's features in India.
According to Tech Firstpost, Google India's Maps Lead Sanket Gupta said that such a data sharing platform that actually helps boost the industry. "From our analysis, it's a great platform for sharing data," he said.
He said, though, that "there's still a long way to go. It is something like a great experience and generally great for the industry,"
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) created Bhuvan, a software application that allows users to explore the 2D or 3D representation of the Earth's surface. The new app is specially made to view India, providing content in four local languages and providing the users with the highest resolution in the region.
Though Google doesn't consider Bhuvan as competition, the search engine giant is looking to add more India relevant feature to Google Maps. The country is among the top five users of offline maps.
BGR reports that Gupta said Google is "aiming to develop more country-relevant features" in India. He said this is due to the country having more than 5,000 cities and six lakh villages.
Gupta adds that one of the features they want to add is the Street View, where users can explore world landmarks, discover the natural wonders and step inside museums, arena, parks and transport hubs. He said that neighboring countries such as Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Japan are already deploying it.
Gupta said that the problem is they haven't been able to get the permission. He said discussions are already ongoing, but they're having difficulty getting a decision on the policy side, as technically, they just need cameras and cars.
Bhuvan may not be considered a competitor to Google Maps, but they certainly caught Google's attention. Especially, in upgrading the map's features in the country.
